DUSU polls: NSUI promises rent control, campus reforms as ex-DUTA chief joins Cong

With the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections set to be held on 18 September, the Congress-affiliated National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) has promised a rent control law for paying guests and students, along with a slew of measures on affordable education, campus safety and student welfare.

The promise comes against the backdrop of the Satya Niketan building collapse earlier this month, which claimed the lives of at least seven students and has once again raised questions over the safety and regulation of student accommodation in Delhi.

Releasing its manifesto for the university polls, the NSUI said its vision was centred on “better education, affordable living, safer campuses, equal opportunities and brighter careers”.

A key promise is a proposed Rent Control Act for student accommodation, which the NSUI said would provide for regular inspections, accountability of landlords and a cap on PG rents. It also proposed a ‘DU Common Portal’ for grievance redressal, along with a system for verified PGs, licences and ratings.

The manifesto also promises two days of menstrual leave every month for female students, besides reforms to the NEP-based four-year undergraduate programme.

On the issue of rising education costs, the NSUI has promised fee relief to reduce the financial burden on students. It has also pledged a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual harassment and greater gender sensitisation on campus.

The manifesto, the student organisation said, was prepared after it received nearly 6,000 suggestions from Delhi University students under its ‘My Campus, My Manifesto’ campaign.

The initiative was aimed at bringing students’ concerns into the university’s larger policy agenda and creating a more inclusive, accountable and student-driven campus, the NSUI said.

The NSUI has fielded Vijay Shankar Meena for president, Veer Chaitarth for vice-president, Namrata Chaudhary for secretary and Gopal Chaudhary for joint secretary.

The election assumes significance for the NSUI after the ABVP, the student wing affiliated with the RSS, won three of the four central panel posts in the 2025 DUSU elections, with the NSUI securing one.

This year, however, the Congress student organisation is seeking to mount a stronger challenge, with the entry of a prominent Delhi University teachers’ leader into the Congress adding another political dimension to the contest.

Former Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) president Aditya Narayan Mishra, who has served as DUTA president three times, on Monday joined the Congress. His organisation, Academics for Action and Development (AAD), has also formally merged with the party.

Mishra is regarded as one of the prominent leaders of the university teachers’ body. His entry into the Congress comes at a time when the party is seeking to strengthen its presence among students, teachers and other sections of the university community.

Speaking after joining the party, Mishra said he and his colleagues had decided to join the Congress to “strengthen the hands of Rahul Gandhi”.

He said government-funded educational institutions across the country were facing an assault and alleged that thousands of schools had been shut down.

“Rahul Gandhi is a crusader against all the onslaughts that are taking place on universities and education in particular. He is fighting to uphold government-funded institutions, and to uphold justice and dignity for everybody. We are joining to be part of this great struggle,” Mishra said.